Late Weichselian marine stratigraphy of the southern Kattegat, Scandinavia: evidence for drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake between 12,700 and 10,300 years BP

Abstract

From stratigraphic investigations of 38 piston and vibro cores, four fine‐grained Late Weichselian sediment units can be defined in the southern Kattegat. A continuous stratigraphic record of the Late Weichselian sediments cannot be established from single cores due to the uneven distribution of the units, but by compilation of relative stratigraphies a composite record can be determined for sediments deposited between approximately 13,500 and 10,000 BP. The sediments contain both lithological and biostratigraphical evidence that the Baltic Ice Lake was suddenly drained through the Öresund Strait at about 12,700 BP. This drainage route appears to have been unchanged until about 10,300 BP when a passage opened in south central Sweden through which the final drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake took place. The Younger Dryas cold event appears to have had only marginal effects on the marine benthic life in the region. The data also indicate that drainage of fresh Baltic water through the Öresund Strait was the driving force for an inflow of marine water from the Skagerrak North Atlantic Ocean into the southern Kattegat, as occurring at the present. This paper is a contribution to IGCP 253, Termination of the Pleistocene.

The Quaternary of the Kattegat area, Scandinavia: a review

“…Bergsten & Nordberg ( 1992) established a composite record by compiling data from several cores. Bergsten & Nordberg (1992) found from both lithological and biostratigraphical evidence that the Baltic Ice Lake drained through the 0resund Strait from about 12,700 BP and that the outflow of fresh Baltic water was the driving force for inflow of marine North Sea-Skagerrak water to the Kattegat, as occurs at present. This current pattern appears to have been in function until about 10,300 BP, when a passage opened in south central Sweden through which the final drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake took place.…”

“…The distribution of Late Weichselian sediments in the Kattegat appears to be very uneven (Morner 1969;Falt 1982;Knudsen & Nordberg 1987: Bergsten & Nordberg 1992. Therefore a continuous stratigraphic record is not established from single cores.…”

“…General circulation is dominated by a two-layer estuarine flow, driven by outflow from the Baltic Sea (Muller-Narvarra 1983). This type of circulation has probably been in operation since 12,700 BP, when the Baltic Ice Lake drained through the Oresund strait (Bergsten & Nordberg 1992). Studies of the recent hydrographical and sedimentation regime (e.g.…”

Deglaciation chronology and marine environments in southwestern Sweden

“…These species have similar ecological demands and seem to tolerate extremely low salinities in both arctic and boreal waters (e.g. Lutze 1965;Knudsen 1982;Bergsten & Nordberg 1992 Fix. 3.…”

“…These species have similar ecological demands and seem to tolerate extremely low salinities in both arctic and boreal waters (e.g. Lutze 1965;Knudsen 1982;Bergsten & Nordberg 1992 Walton (1964). One representative 'master core' from each basin has been chosen: M91A from Lake Mellom-Ulvattnet ( Fig.…”